Unfortunately, when a fast-paced, precision-based FPS like VALORANT has ping issues—you’ll struggle. Players with high ping will either infuriate other players in their matches or they’ll just have a hard time getting any kills. This is not fun for anyone involved.
Ping in online video games refers to internet latency. It’s the time it takes for your connection to register a command via the server. In this case, the VALORANT servers.
What is ping and why is it important?
For those of you unaware of its exact meaning, ping in online video games refers to your internet latency. It’s the amount of time between your internet connection to registering a command on the server. The higher your VALORANT ping, the more likely you are to be frustrated with gameplay that lags noticeably behind your input.
How to fix high ping in VALORANT, explained
Terrible ping can be the cause of so many unnecessary deaths in VALORANT, so it’s a good idea to try as many fixes as possible. Don’t give up after one solution fails to fix the issue.
Make sure that you’ve managed which application is active in your background, find out how many people are using your internet, and if possible, a switch from Wi-Fi to an ethernet cable might be necessary.
Fortunately, there are some simple reasons for lag or a high ping
This issue was addressed by Dave Heironymus, VALORANT’s technical director, in 2020. “The biggest problem is the same one hitting everyone else: there are massive amounts of internet traffic and players are coming in from many, many different ISPs,” he said.
Riot has been keeping a close eye on how internet service providers are dealing with the increase in network traffic over the past year, many of which have to “load balance by routing connections all over the place,” Heironymus explained.
Ping, however, isn’t directly connected to the game. There’s not always a surefire way to fix this issue, but there are a few changes you can make to improve your network or fix your internet connection, which should help to lower your ping while playing VALORANT.
The best ways to improve ping in VALORANT
If this is a one-time occurrence, restart VALORANT and if necessary, your PC.
- Upgrade your internet plan
- Optimize your router settings
- Limit the number of active connections on your network
- Set VALORANT to “high priority” in the Task Manager
- Restrict background applications and downloads
High ping can impact many aspects of VALORANT, diminishing the overall experience of the game. Peeker’s advantage—when a player gets an “advantage” by peeking around a corner because of lower latency—is one example of this.
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